Fan-favorite Fernandez rejoins the Doosan Bears

Jose Fernandez [YONHAP]

The Doosan Bears announced Tuesday that they have re-signed Cuban slugger Jose Fernandez on a one-year deal worth $1.1 million.

Fernandez, who is returning to the Bears for a fourth season, will earn $600,000 in guaranteed salary with a $200,000 signing bonus and $300,000 in incentives.

Ferandez is the last foreign player to sign in the KBO this year, taking the final available spot more than a month after all other players had signed. The delay in signing a deal was first reported in early January, with local media saying that the hold up was due to administrative issues related to renewing the slugger's passport.

Fernandez, who is affectionately known as Jose by Doosan fans, is only one of two foreign position players to survive the offseason. Eight out of 10 KBO clubs cut ties with their position players this year, with only Fernandez and Jose Pirela of the Samsung Lions set to return.

Fernandez's return comes as little surprise. Over three years in the KBO, he has proven to be a serious threat at the plate with a .333 career batting average, 566 hits, 274 RBIs and 51 home runs. He is also a workhorse, missing only three games in his three years with the Bears.

Fernandez was on particularly strong form during the playoffs last season, when Doosan advanced from fourth place to the Korean Series. In the Wildcard game he batted in five runs, setting a new league record for the most RBIs hit by a single player since the Wildcard was introduced in 2015.

Pirela wasn't able to put up as impressive numbers in his first year with the Lions last season, batting .286 with 158 hits, 97 RBIs and 29 home runs, but was a core part of the squad as it made its return to the postseason for the first time in seven years.

Elsewhere in the KBO it's all new faces: Socrates Brito with the Kia Tigers, Henry Ramos with the KT Wiz, Rio Ruiz with the LG Twins, Yasiel Puig with the Kiwoom Heroes, Kevin Cron with the SSG Landers, DJ Peters with the Lotte Giants and Mike Tauchman with the Hanwha Eagles.

According to the Bears, Fernandez is set to arrive in Korea on Wednesday and report for spring training after seven days of quarantine.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]